Mike Tyson has backed Ryan Garcia to retain his WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn in Las Vegas this Saturday. Garcia makes his first defence at the T-Mobile Arena following his victory over Mario Barrios earlier this year.
The American champion claimed the crown via a unanimous decision against Barrios to rebuild his standing in the division. That triumph followed a points loss to Rolly Romero in May 2025, a bout that arrived just over a year after Garcia had initially beaten Devin Haney. That Haney result was subsequently overturned to a no contest after Garcia failed an anti-doping test.
Garcia now turns his focus to Benn, who has also navigated a long period of inactivity. A failed drugs test forced the postponement of Benn’s scheduled 2022 clash against long-term rival Chris Eubank Jr.
The two rivals eventually met twice at middleweight last year. Benn came up short in the opening encounter, but he delivered a one-sided victory in the rematch to settle the score. He followed that performance with another convincing win against Regis Prograis in a 150lb catchweight contest in April.
Those recent displays appear to have caught the attention of former heavyweight champion Tyson, who offered his assessment to FightHype ahead of Saturday’s event. While acknowledging Benn’s visible progress, Tyson confirmed he is siding with the defending champion.
“Ryan [wins]. We’ll see [if it ends by knockout]. Conor’s getting better.”
A central element of Saturday’s clash is Benn’s return to the 147lb division. He has not competed at welterweight since April 2022.
Benn has already confirmed that, regardless of whether he wins or loses, this contest will mark his final appearance at 147lbs before he moves up in weight. Victory for Garcia would firmly establish his title reign at welterweight, while Benn aims to capture world honors before stepping up to a higher division.
